Toby's Snowplough
Plot A cold wind blew across Ffarquhar Sheds as Thomas, Percy and Toby were getting their snowploughs fitted. The work was a bit tiring for the workmen, but the engines felt warm because of their fireboxes. Even Thomas didn't complain as the blue snowplough was being fitted onto his bufferbeam. Toby couldn't help noticing this as he smirked at his old friend. "Finally learned the importance of snowploughs, eh Thomas?" Thomas looked up at Toby and chuckled. "I've had enough of getting stuck in the snow, so I'm not going to bother about this thing anymore. After all this time I've kind of gotten used to it." Toby smiled, glad to know that Thomas had learned. Percy, however, looked confused as he eyed a brown snowplough. "Toby, why do you need a snowplough?" the little green engine asked suddenly. Toby blinked. "What do you mean, Percy?" "Well, we don't have cowcatchers like you do, so you'd think that your cowcatcher could scrape away any snow that was on the line." The tram engine laughed. "Oh Percy, this measly old cowcatcher won't scrape away enough snow. I have a snowplough just as a precaution so I don't get stuck. You see?" Percy didn't see, but said nothing as he puffed away. Soon, Toby's snowplough was fitted and he set off to find his coaches. In the yard, Victoria and Henrietta were sitting on a siding. Victora grinned. "Oh Henrietta, he's here!" she exclaimed as Toby backed down onto her. "Hello, you two! We've got a few workmen to deliver to the quarry today." said Toby cheerfully as he rang his bell. "Well of course, Toby," said Henrietta, "We always do." The three friends chattered all the way to Knapford Station, where the workmen were waiting. The passengers quickly boarded the coaches and Toby set off for the quarry. Snowflakes floated around him as the wooden tram pushed onward. His snowplough cut through the snow and pushed it aside. "Brr... It's bitterly cold out here!" Henrietta shivered. "It could be worse," reminded Toby as he arrived at the quarry. Toby stopped as he rang his bell to signal Mavis that he was there. "Hello Mavis!" the tram engine called. The quarry Diesel engine looked over and smiled slightly. "Oh, hello Toby!" She quickly frowned again as she looked up at the sky. "What's wrong, Mavis?" Toby asked in confusion as he slowly puffed closer. "Oh, it's all this snow..." sighed Mavis with worry, "I'm not quite used to it. There's snow clouds up there, and they look pretty dark, Toby..." Toby looked up and noticed that Mavis was right. "I see," he said gravely, "I'm sure it'll be alright though. We have our snowploughs after all." "I sure hope so," replied the diesel, "The last thing we need is another snowstorm..." "I know what you mean," said Toby as the workmen shut the doors of Henrietta and Victoria, "Goodbye, Mavis!" Mavis didn't reply as Toby reversed out of the quarry; she was too busy looking up at the sky and frowning. That afternoon, Toby puffed into Knapford Station with some more passengers. He couldn't help smiling as he noticed Philip shunting a long train for Hank. Philip noticed Toby looking at him and immediately grinned, pleased that someone could notice his strength. "Look how much I can push, Toby!" Philip cried as he shunted the trucks into the platform. "I'm watching, Philip," chuckled Toby. Philip braked as the trucks stopped. "Ha ha! See, I did it! Wasn't that impressive?" "You certainly did." Just then they heard a loud American whistle that caught the two engines off guard. "Mighty kind of ya to do that for me, Philip," said Hank as he backed down onto his trucks, "Not every engine has the enthusiasm that you do." "No problem, big engine!" smiled Philip. "Actually my name is Hank." "Oh." "Though I have bigger things on my mind than trucks," continued Hank worriedly, "This snow's getting worse." "I can see that," replied Toby, "I still have to get the workmen from the quarry back to their homes later today." Hank looked over, surprised. "Ya better do it now, Toby!" Toby squinted, confused. "What are you trying to say...?" "I'm saying that if you don't go now, the workmen may be stranded up there, and Mavis too! If this snow gets bad enough, I say it'll block the whole quarry off!" Philip gasped. "Oh no, that's horrible! Go on, Toby! You have to save those workmen!" Toby gulped, realizing that Hank and Philip were right. "But... but..." "But what?" asked Henrietta, "Come on Toby, you can do it." "Oh, I have enough confidence, Henrietta," replied Toby, "But I'm not a powerful engine like you, Hank. What if I get stuck?" "I'll go to the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre," the American engine replied, "I promise." "Well, you can't get much better than that," said Victoria. "Come on Toby, time's flying by! You know what Hank said!" agreed Henrietta. Toby pumped his pistons, getting ready for the journey ahead. "Right! Are you ready, Henrietta and Victoria?" "Ready when you are!" chorused the coaches. "Then let's go!" spluttered Toby as he rang his bell. "Go Toby!" cheered Philip as Toby raced away. Hank, however, was not as optimistic. "I hope he makes it in time," murmured Hank quietly. Toby rushed along the Ffarquhar Branch Line, determined to get to the quarry. He felt the true weight of the snow as he had to squint in order to see. His bright lamp shone in the fog. "Come on Toby!" cheered Henrietta, "You can get through this snow!" "I know I can," Toby said to himself, "I can and I will! I can and I will!" "Of course you will! Of course you will," sang Henrietta and Victoria. Despite his chanting, Toby didn't feel the most confident, but he knew he had to get to the quarry as soon as possible. At Toryeck Station, Terence the Tractor was attempting to clear the road beside the railway. "Ugh... This snow isn't soft like it usually is... Oof, this is heavy..." he grunted as his treads dug into the asphalt. A faint bell rang in the distance. Terence's jaw dropped. "Toby?!" "Yes it's me," Toby chuckled as he slowed down to talk to Terence. "What on Earth are you doing out here?! All the other engines are under a roof!" the tractor spluttered. "I have to save Mavis and the workmen," replied Toby firmly, "And that's what I'm going to do." Terence frowned. "Alright... But be careful..." "I will be!" promised Toby as he rushed away. At last, Toby arrived at the quarry. He gasped in horror to find Mavis shunting a few trucks. "Mavis, what are you doing?!" he said in surprise. "Shunting some trucks," replied Mavis, "I know this snow is bad but this yard is too untidy for my liking." "There's no time for being a perfectionist," Toby huffed, "We have to get you and the workmen out of here!" "Why?" "Hank said the quarry will be blocked by snow soon! I'd prefer if it if we didn't have to dig you out for several days!" Mavis' face went a bit pale at the thought of being trapped under a bunch of snow for several days. "A-alright... Just... give me a second to round up the workmen and the manager." She honked her horn loudly. "Workmen, we need you to get into Henrietta and Victoria now!" The workmen did so and Toby rang his bell as he reversed to a set of points, and puffed down the same line Mavis was on. Suddenly Mavis remembered something. "Toby, look out!" Toby looked up. "Hmm?" Before Mavis could explain, a loud bang was heard, making her close her eyes with horror. Mavis winced as she opened her eyes. "Toby...? Are you alright?" she whispered. Toby opened an eye and sighed with relief as he looked down to find he wasn't derailed. "It's not too bad, Mavis... It's lucky I didn't derail though. How did this happen?" "I remembered there was a large rock on the line that was covered in snow, but I suppose I didn't warn you in time..." Mavis sighed with guilt. Toby frowned as he looked down at his snowplough. "Well, if one thing's for sure, it's that my snowplough's broken! I can't use it now!" Henrietta and Victoria gasped. "But Toby, you can't go out in the snow without a snowplough!" Henrietta spluttered. "Exactly! You'll get stuck in a snowdrift!" added Victoria. Toby thought for a moment; he realized the situation did seem relatively hopeless without a snowplough. But then he remembered what Percy had said at the sheds that morning. You'd think your cowcatcher could scrape away any snow... Toby suddenly grinned. "That's it!" "What's it?" asked Mavis worriedly. "I'll use my cowcatcher to scrape away the snow!" Henrietta stared. "...please tell me you're not serious." "It's our only chance!" protested Toby, "We can't be trapped here! These poor workmen need to keep warm!" "Don't patronize me please," said a workman. "He has a point, Henrietta," frowned Victoria. "What, the patronizing?'" "...no, the fact that Toby has to get these men home, and Mavis too." "Oh. I suppose you're right," sighed Henrietta with defeat. Toby rang his bell and Mavis honked her horn. "Charrge!" grinned Mavis as the cavalcade raced away to Knapford, to take shelter from the storm. Hernietta was still worried as Toby rushed forwards. "Are you sure your cowcatcher can scrape away any snow?" "We're not stuck yet, are we?" smiled Toby as he puffed into a snowdrift. The cowcatcher knocked the snow off the rails. "I suppose not, but-" "Toby, is Henrietta always like this?" Mavis chuckled. "She can be a bit overprotective at times but she's fine overall," Toby smirked. "I'm right here you know." "Oh we know all right." "What's that supposed to mean?" "Uh, excuse me you three, but maybe we should be paying attention...?" Victoria gulped. "What makes you say that?" asked Mavis. "Because there's a giant snowdrift right in front of us!" Toby gasped as he looked ahead. "Victoria's right! Brake, Mavis, brake!" Mavis' driver applied the brakes, as did Toby's. The two engines stopped, just in time. Toby gulped as he looked at the snowdrift. "...can your cowcatcher get through that?" Henrietta said quietly. "I... I'm not sure," Toby said quietly as doubt filled his firebox. "But Toby, what about the workmen?" Mavis asked urgently, "They need heat or else they're freeze like an ice cream cone!" Toby wasn't sure what to do now. He looked at the snowdrift, then back to Henrietta and the workmen. The workmen were shivering with cold, and sipping their hot cocoa to keep warm. Toby sighed. "...you're right. I can't let them down. I can't let you all down. I may be smaller than other engines, but that doesn't mean I can't do big things!" Toby charged forward. Henrietta gasped. "Wait, but Toby-" She was cut off as Toby's cowcatcher collided with the snow. Henrietta and Victoria closed their eyes. Mavis was surprised to find that they were still moving, and Toby wasn't stuck. "T-toby?!" the Diesel gasped. Toby grinned as he rushed forwards, pulling the coaches and Mavis behind him. "You did it ol' boy, you did it!" cheered his driver. Toby couldn't help but grin wider. "I did, didn't I...?" Toby had all of his confidence as he charged the rest of the snowdrifts along the branch line. Terence's jaw dropped when he noticed Toby rush past with the coaches and Mavis. "Toby?! Where's your snowplough?!" "I don't need one right now," cried Toby. Terence blinked. "...huh?" "He broke it!" exclaimed Henrietta. "He's using his cowcatchers," explained Mavis. Before Terence could ask any more questions, the cavalcade was gone. "I am nothing but confused right now." At Knapford Station, Philip, Hank and Dennis were taking shelter from the snowstorm. Philip shivered. "How long is this going to last, big eng- I mean, Hank?" he asked quietly. "I'm afraid I'm not sure, little one," replied Hank ruefully, "I just hope poor Toby and Mavis get here soon. This snow is starting to get worse." "I'm just cold," whined Dennis, "My motor needs heating up..." "Maybe if you worked harder, you wouldn't care," grinned Hank. Dennis was about to retort when the clinging of a bell raised Hank's eyebrows. "I think that's Toby's bell!" "So he came back okay?!" Philip asked with delight. "I certainly did!" exclaimed a voice. The three engines looked over to find a grinning Toby braking at the platform, followed by Victoria, Henrietta and Mavis. Philip and Hank cheered for the tram engine, as did the people on the platform who couldn't get to their homes because of the snow. "Oh, thank goodness we're under a roof..." Henrietta spluttered, "I couldn't take any more of that..." "Just be glad we aren't at the quarry," chuckled Mavis. The workmen clapped and cheered as they ran to their loved ones. "Thank you so much for helping, Toby," said the quarry manager as he walked up to him, "You helped me, our workmen and workwomen, and our engine Mavis get home without being stuck at the quarry." "And all with a snowplough too!" cried Mavis. Hank blinked as he noticed Toby had no snowplough. "Wait, what?" "I, uh... ran into a rock at the quarry," Toby chuckled sheepishly, "And uh... my snowplough broke..." The trio's jaws dropped. "How- how?! How do you do that?!" Dennis spluttered, "You came all this way with no snowplough?" "That's what I said," muttered Henrietta. "That's amazing!" cried Philip. "How'd you do it, champ?" asked Hank with a hint of pride for his friend. "All you need is determination and you can get the job done," grinned Toby. "Wow! You really are more than just a steam tram, Toby!" Philip smiled. "I said that before too... Is this 'Repeat Henrietta and Then Never Acknowledge She Exists' Day?" the coach scoffed. Everyone laughed. A few days later, Toby had told Thomas and Percy about his adventure. "See? I told you that you didn't need a snowplough," chuckled Percy. "Oh, how I envy you...!" laughed Thomas. "Now now you two, I'll probably still need it. This was probably pure luck," Toby replied. "Toby is right," said a booming voice. The trio looked over to find the Fat Controller grinning from ear to ear. "But still Toby, I am very proud of you. You got the workmen home safe and sound, and even got Mavis out of the storm, despite the hardships. That's what an Enterprising Engine is, and that's what you are." Toby smiled. "Thank you, sir!" "I'll get you a new coat of paint soon too; you deserve it." and the Fat Controller left. "I'll say," said Thomas. "It was nothing, really," said Toby earnestly. Before anyone could reply, Mavis rushed up with her first load of stone since the storm. She honked her horn as she braked. "Toby!" The three engines looked over, puzzled. "Toby, I never thanked you for rescuing me from that snowstorm. So... thank you." Toby's smile grew wider. "No problem, Mavis. I wouldn't want to leave any engine out in the snow to freeze to the frames!" For the next couple of weeks after that, engines and people congratulated Toby over and over again. He didn't let the compliments get to his smokebox, but he still felt proud to be an Enterprising Engine. Characters * Thomas * Percy * Toby * Hank * Mavis * Dennis * Philip * Henrietta * Victoria * Terence * The Fat Controller * Edward (cameo) * Duck (cameo) * Donald and Douglas (cameo) * Oliver (cameo) * Bill and Ben (cameo) * Rosie (cameo) * Stanley (cameo) * Samson (cameo) * Logan (cameo) * Sam (cameo) * Den (cameo) * Dart (cameo) * Annie and Clarabel (cameo) * Elsie (cameo) Locations * Ffarquhar Sheds * Ffarquhar * Knapford * Ffarquhar Quarry * Toryeck * Sodor Search and Rescue Centre (mentioned) Category:Sodor Adventures Category:Future Releases